183. Rias of La Coruña and Ferrol . . . 458 184. Santoña and Santander . . . 460 185. Oviedo and Gijon . . . 462 186. TOWER OF HERCULES . . . 463 187. Ria de Vigo . . . 464 188. Railroads of the Iberian Peninsula . . . 465 189. Foreign Commerce of the Iberian Peninsula . . . 466 190. Diagram exhibiting the Extent of the Castilian Language . . . 467 PORTUGAL. 191. Rainfall of the Iberian Peninsula . . . 470 192. PORTUGUESE TYPES (Peasants) . . . 472 193. The Valley of the Limia, or Lima . . . 475 194. Dunes of Avéiro . . . 476 195. Oporto and the Paiz do Vinho . . . 478 196. São João da Foz and the Mouth of the Dóuro . . . 480 197. COIMBRA . . . 482 198. The Estuary of the Tejo (Tagus) . . . 483 199. Peniche and the Berlingas . . . 485 200. Mouth of the Tejo . . . 486 201. Zones of Vegetation in Portugal . . . 488 202. CASTLE OF PENHA DE CINTRA . . . 489 203. MONASTERY OF THE KNIGHTS OF CHRIST AT THOMAR . . . 491 204. Estuary of the Sado . . . 492 205. Serra de Monchique and Promontory of Sagres . . . 493 206. Geology of Algarve . . . 494 207. Faro and Tavira . . . 496 208. Geographical Extent of the Portuguese Language . . . 497 209. Telegraph from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro . . . 498 [Illustration] {1} [Illustration] THE EARTH AND ITS INHABITANTS. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.[1] Our earth is but as an atom in space, a star amongst stars. Yet, to us who inhabit it, it is still without bounds, as it was in the time of our barbarian ancestors. Nor can we foresee the period when the whole of its surface will be known to us. We have been taught by astronomers and geodesists that our planet is a sphere flattened at the poles, and physical geographers and meteorologists have applied their powers of inductive reasoning to establish theories on the direction of the winds and ocean currents within the polar regions. But hitherto no explorer has succeeded in reaching the extremities of our earth, and no one can tell whether land or sea extends beyond those icy barriers which have frustrated our most determined efforts. Thanks to the struggles of indomitable seamen, the pride of our race, the area of the mysterious regions around the north pole has been reduced to something like the hundredth part of the earth’s surface, but in the south there still remains an unknown region of such vast extent, that the moon, were she to drop upon our planet, might disappear within it without coming into contact with any part of the earth’s surface already known to us.